Return to the Game
by Jahkari Owens
Summary: Kyono Yakura used to be one of the most promising duelists of his generation, but three years ago he gave up the game. Now, due to a shadow of a hope in finding someone he lost, he accepts an invitation to Duelist Kingdom to face his past. OCcentric
1. The Invitation

"Come on, it could be your best chance."

"Come on nothing, Tamao. I'm not dueling again. Ever."

At a complete standstill in the argument, which they had been having for the past half hour, the two resorted to one of their usual staring-contests. Many an argument had dissolved into such a staring contest over the years, but usually those arguments were over something a little less serious than the topic at hand.

On one side was a brunette girl, her hair cropped short in a fashionable way, arms crossed over her chest as she glared angrily at a lanky boy with dark purple hair in a long ponytail, sitting on a sofa across from her, who met her glare with his calm and cold one. In between them were two decks, one towards Tamao Tokani, the brunette girl, the other closer to the purple haired boy, and a box next to each deck.

Eventually, Tamao cracked first. "Come on, Kyono! Don't you realize what could possibly be in it for you if you duel, and you win? Think of it! Three million dollars could easily hire a detective or something- we could find-"

"Shut up, Tamao, and think for a moment, would you?" The boy replied softly. He gestured loosely at the box by the deck closer to him, unopened. "I got invited to this tournament, and I just won a few tournaments that were more or less local when I was a kid. Think of what that means- it means big names in dueling are going to be there, and I haven't dueled in three years. Just, be reasonable- do I stand a chance against them? No."

"But you don't know that for sure!" Tamao interjected, flinging her hands out in her enthusiasm. "You could have gone to the higher tournaments, but you never wanted to, remember?! You're on their level!"

"Was."

"Stop playing that card, dueling is like riding a bike. I stopped dueling for a while, but the instant I had a deck back in my hand, _bam_, it was like I never stopped."

Kyono Yakura removed his glare from his cousin and turned it on the box by the deck. "Even so." He replied grudgingly. "I… Don't want to do it. I gave up dueling for a reason."

It was Tamao's turn to look away, letting her arms fall to her sides. "I know, Kyo, I know, but… Maybe… It led to a catastrophe, but maybe dueling can, I don't know, help to alleviate that catastrophe."

At that, she held out two cards to him; one with a pile of gold upon it, one blank. He stared at them for a moment, then looked away. "If you're so passionate about this, why don't _you _compete?"

She withdrew her hand with a sigh. "I am, Kyo, but… I'm not as good as you. 'Sides, I figure the more people dueling for our cause, the better right? It makes the odds slightly more in our favor."

Kyo snorted at that. "Are you kidding me? That would be an miniscule edge, hardly worth it."

"I'm surprised you know what that word means." Tamao replied, with the slightest of grins.

"I'm not as stupid as you make me out to be, Tama." He answered, returning the slight grin.

They remained quiet for a moment after this, both seeming absorbed in their own thoughts, until a techno songloop broke the silence. "Shoot, my phone." Tama blinked, digging in her pocket to find the offending piece of technology. Finally getting it, she glanced at the screen and hit the accept button.

"Hello? Toshiro? Hey!" She said into the phone. Kyo, who had sat up when she presented the cards to him, fell back into the sofa's cushions.

"Yeeah… Yes, I'm entering… No, I should be okay with what I have… Well, maybe… I don't know, you think…? … Mm, alright, I'll come over and take a look… Of course I'll check my strategy with you- you're coming too, right? … Yes, I know you collect, not duel, but still, it'd be good to- Oh, you were kidding. I knew that. Yes. … Hahaha, sorry, my mind is elsewhere, I'm not my usual witty self- Oh, okay. Bye! Yeah, tomorrow, okay, bye!"

And with that, Tama hit the end button, shoving the phone back into her pocket, only this time the one in her vest and not in her jeans. Turning back to Kyo, she gave him an apologetic expression. "Sorry 'bout that, now where-"

"Duel me."

"Huh?" Tama asked in surprise, her attention snapping solely on him. "What did-"

"I want you to duel me. You've been playing in some tournaments recently, you're in practice, and you're good- you'll be the average there, I'd bet." Kyo continued on, ignoring Tama's objecting, 'hey!'. "So, I figure if I duel you and I win… I'll go."

What he said did not escape Tama's sharp mind, and she grinned. "Alright. Just you better know, even though I want nothing more than you to enter, I'm not going to hold back- especially after that insult."

Kyo smirked at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

---

The darkened living room was lit only by the glowing screen of the TV, casting eerie shadows and bathing the two figures in front of it into pale, creepy light. One was collapsed across the floor, unmoving and seemingly not breathing; the other stood tall in front of the television, staring directly at the face smiling almost sadistically at her.

"Clearly you will not take no for an answer, it seems." The girl whispered darkly, her gaze not leaving the screen.

"There are easier ways than this to get you to come to my island, little girl. If only you had merely accepted my invitation, your brother would not be in this state." The man's voice was elegant and haughty, yet not without its hint of menace.

Only now did the girl glance at the unconscious form by her feet. "I had no interest in your twisted tournament until you did this. Now, I fear I might have to be more than a little ruthless."

"Oh, yes, you play for keeps, don't you?"

"It is the only way I know how to play- I am incapable of restraining my powers in that respect." Turning her dark eyes back to him, the shadow of a smile passed her lips. "So I shall merely have to find a way to bypass all challengers, so the only one I must hurt shall be you."

"I cannot express how much I look forward to it, Sukia Oonishi." The screen clicked off, the sound of the silver-haired man's dark chuckling filling the room as if in farewell.

Turning from the screen, Sukia closed her eyes tightly before reopening them resolutely.

If she was in this, she was in this all the way.

---

Standing in the doorway of the room that Maximillion Pegasus practically made his office was a woman wearing glasses and a business suit, holding the hand of a young girl who seemed to be struggling to get free from her grasp. For her part the woman holding the girl seemed to feel more than a little guilty about what she was doing, but she pressed on in her duty.

"Mr. Pegasus, I've brought the girl just like you requested."

Glancing up from his glass of wine to look at the woman and then the girl, Pegasus smiled. "Excellent work, Miss Niwoshi. Please, take her to the most comfortable room you can find- oh, and don't forget to introduce her to our other young guest."

"Of course, Mr. Pegasus, but-" Alianni Niwoshi began, but Pegasus cut her off.

"You will find what use I have of that girl in due time, but in the meantime you would do well to do as I say. You are no doubt aware of why you hold the position you now do?"

"Yes, sir." She replied, barely hiding the cringe as she backed out of the doorway, tugging the young girl with her.

They walked briskly down the hall, the girl keeping up her fight. "Where are we going? I don't know what's going on!" She said, honest fear tinting her voice.

Alianni felt her heart break as she glanced down at the girl, keeping up her pace. "We're going to find you a nice room to stay in for a while. Don't worry, it should be fun!"

Even as she said it, she knew she was a terrible liar.

"But… But, I don't know where… And I don't like…"

Alianni just kept walking, keeping her gaze to the front until they reached a door. After she unlocked it, Alianni led the young girl into it.

"Here you go- this will be your room for the time being." She said, shutting the door softly behind her as to not alarm the girl.

Looking around, the girl calmed down briefly enough to notice another door. Pointing to it, she sniffed, "What's… What does that door lead to…?"

"Ah, that's- a door for a little later. It leads to your neighbor's room, you see, and I believe he's asleep right now."

At that, the little girl emitted a large yawn herself, which made Alianni smile in spite of herself.

"Heh. Looks like you should be sleeping, too. Get some rest, Reena."

She didn't wait for the girl's answer, but quickly excused herself from the room.

This was one of the reasons Alianni really wished that she could be like a normal person and quit her job without one of the repercussions possibly being death, or worse.

---

Slipping the dueling gauntlet onto her right hand with a certain degree of triumph, Tama grinned over at her cousin as she placed the two star chips into their slots. "Get a good night's sleep- we leave tomorrow. You have to stop doing stuff last minute, Kyo."

Loosely holding his deck in one hand and the dueling gauntlet in the other, Kyo sighed. "Guess there's no turning back now- I keep my word."

"I know you do. Duelist Kingdom, here we come!" With that cheerful remark, she left the small apartment.

Finally on his own, Kyo sighed heavily, placing the deck back on the table. Falling into the sofa once again, he stared at the ceiling and spoke aloud as if addressing someone.

"I know I said I'd give up dueling after everything it cost me… It was to get to one of my tournaments that you both died, and she was taken away. But… Tamao might be insane in her means, but she's also got a strong point. I might be able to find her if I win, Mom, Dad… So, I guess I have to take this chance."

He closed his eyes briefly, before sitting up. Staring at his deck he said aloud, as if to confirm it in his mind, "Reena, I will find you."

Author's Note:

Wow, I submitted something! XD Well, in case you didn't quite realize it, this story will be following the Duelist Kingdom Arc of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and... for the most part will be focusing on my original characters. nn I think Mokuba will be an important player, too, but he'll probably be one of the only canon characters that have any significant role for a while. Still, I hope this is at least somewhat interesting for you, because the characters mean a lot to me.

Toshiro Mishimiko, who was only mentioned in passing for the moment, (c) Dark Regrets, my friend

Kyono Yakura, Tamao Tokani, Sukia Oonishi, Kuro Oonishi (the unconcious guy), Alianni Niwoshi, Reena (c) Me, Jahkari Owens

Duelist Kingdom, Maxamillion Pegasus, etc. (c) ... Shoot. The creators of Yu-Gi-Oh!


	2. Girl Duelists are Crazy

Staring apprehensively up at the looming cruise ship in front of him, Kyo Yakura began to have some serious second thoughts.

Well, to be perfectly accurate, his second thoughts were just resurfacing- he hadn't stopped doubting his decision to enter Duelist Kingdom since he had agreed to do it last night. Still, actually standing in front of the thing that would take him to the island, dueling gauntlet on hand and deck in pocket, just made him realize how, well, real this was.

"I can't do this. I can't." He muttered, and promptly turned around to walk in the opposite direction.

However, no sooner had he taken five steps before a voice called out after him. "Kyo! Waitaminute! Don't you even THINK about running!"

Grumbling a muttered swear word, Kyo slowly turned around to face his tormentor: the reason he was involved in this mess, his cousin Tamao. She skidded to a halt a little in front of him, hands on her hips, as she shoved her face close to his. "You wouldn't be breaking your word now, would you, cousin dearest?"

Standing next to her was a boy just a little taller than her, his messy red hair in disarray as it always was. He chuckled a little at Tamao's antics, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Tama. He's not going anywhere."

Tama glanced over her shoulder at him. "You don't know what I went through to get him to come, Toshiro. I think my interest is well founded!" Nevertheless she straightened back up, causing Kyo to give a sight of relief.

Now that she was a least a little calmer, Toshiro turned to Kyo and waved in greeting. "I see she finally made you crack, huh?" He asked, smiling. "You don't know how excited you made her by agreeing. It was almost all she talked about yesterday."

Rolling his eyes, Kyo replied, "I can imagine. But, yeah… Your girlfriend can be ridiculously persuasive when she wants to be." Not knowing how much Tama had told him, Kyo deigned not to mention the real reason she had broke through to him; that story was one he only told when he absolutely had to.

Simultaneously blushing, Tama mumbled something in the negative in regards to the girlfriend mention, and Toshiro just laughed again. Even Kyo would admit the two were cute when they were denying the obvious.

Returning to the topic at hand he asked, "So, Toshiro, you don't duel, do you? Why are you here?"

Pleased by this change of subject, Toshiro replied, "Well, I'm known as a collector of cards- fairly well known, for that matter. I guess that merited my invitation." He held up his gauntleted hand in proof. "I'm just going as a spectator; you know, see the great duelists with my own eyes and all that." After a pause he added, almost hesitantly, "Including you, Kyo."

Kyo shrugged. "I'm not returning to dueling for the fans or fame, but thanks anyway."

Judging by Tama's glare she was about to reprimand him for being so rude, but that was when a voice came on over a loudspeaker. "Attention duelists! Boarding shall now begin for the ship that will take you to Duelist Kingdom! Please begin boarding now!"

"I'm getting in line before I change my mind." Kyo grumbled, walking towards the boat with the slightest of waves at the two of them.

They watched him go for a moment, then Tama let out a heavy sigh. "He's so… Augh. Sorry, ignore him; he might still be mad at me for making him do this."

Toshiro shook his head with a smile. "No, Tama. From the little I know about your cousin, he never does anything unless he genuinely wants to. You might've played a big role, but he wouldn't be here unless at the most basic level he wants to."

"Heh… You're probably right." Tama agreed. "I don't know anyone more stubborn than him."

Silently, Toshiro wondered what had finally convinced Kyo to come to the tournament, but he knew that that was a question for another time. Instead, he offered his arm to Tama with a grin. "Our carriage awaits, mademoiselle. Shall we go?"

---

Away from his cousin, stuck in the line of duelists waiting to board the ship, Kyo was acutely aware of how out-of-place he truly was. All of the duelists around him were so excited for this tournament, all were babbling about their various strategies, showing off their favorite and rarest cards… And then there was him, the guy who had a three-year-old strategy and hadn't gotten a new card in the same amount of time.

Who was he fooling, anyway? There was no way he stood a chance in this thing. There was no point. Some new, up-and-coming duelist would wind up winning, or some well established dueling name. Hell, he even heard that Seto Kaiba would be entering as well as some other big names. He couldn't beat them!

"If you psych yourself into thinking you shall lose before you even begin, you are doomed on all accounts."

Kyo nearly jumped out of his skin at the cold voice that penetrated his thoughts. "What the- who the hell are you?" He gasped, turning around to stare at a girl with cold purple eyes and long pitch-black hair.

"Your name is Kyono Yakura. You are a user of mainly Warrior cards, and won all the tournaments you entered three years ago. Three years ago you stopped dueling due to the death of your parents, Kenji and Ryoko Yakura, who died in a car cra-"

"Shut UP!" Kyo shouted, staring at the girl as if she were phantom, eyes wide. There was no way she could have known all that, not to mention what she had said before had been a direct answer to his thoughts- his silent thoughts.

The girl merely offered an eerie smile in response. "I am Sukia Oonishi, and I, like you, are merely in this tournament for the sake of a sibling. We have much in common."

"How…?" He asked, rubbing his arms to combat the sudden chill he felt.

"How do I know what I know? It is a curse of mine, to be able to read the thoughts of others, among other things. I apologize; you were thinking your thoughts so vehemently that I could not help but overhear. The line is moving."

Kyo jumped again, startled by how abruptly she slipped from their personal conversation to pointing out something such as that. He followed the duelist in line in front of him, but kept his gaze somewhat on the girl behind him, Sukia. There was something very, very unnerving and even unnatural about her, and Kyo did not like anyone having access to his mind without his express permission.

Once the line had come to stop yet again, he turned around to continue his conversation with the girl, but she was no longer there; instead a girl with her honey-brown hair in braided pigtails stared back at him, her eyes curious as to what was wrong with him.

"How the- I didn't take my eye off her!" He muttered, looking around rapidly for any sign of her dark hair. "She must've vanished in the blink of an eye… Uhg." He pressed his hands to his head to fend off the headache he felt forming. "Must've imagined her…"

Even he didn't believe this explanation.

A light tap on the shoulder caught his attention. "Huh? What is it- did I space out and the line started to move again?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder at the pigtailed girl once again.

"No," the girl replied, smiling. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You looked really pale a moment ago, you know."

"Huh." He replied, shrugging. "That was that girl's fault, if I didn't imagine her. It's nothing." He figured if he talked about the black-haired girl in that manner, maybe he'd come to believe it himself. He refused to believe she had gotten him so rattled.

But that goal was dashed to bits by what the pigtailed girl said next. "You mean Sukia Oonishi, right? Yeah, she can be a bit… spooky. But don't worry too much about her. I go to school with her, and I guess you could say I'm a friend of hers, too." She brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes and laughed. "You should feel flattered; she hardly ever actually starts a conversation."

Kyo couldn't fight the chills he felt, despite the sweatshirt was wearing. "Yeah… Real flattered." He shuddered. "Did you see where she went…?"

"Oh, yes. See that man over there, the one in the suit, the one in charge of boarding people? He brought her to the front of the line. Guess she's a V.I.P. or something of that nature. It's funny, I never even knew she dueled."

"Yeah…" Kyo grumbled, turning around just in time to catch a glimpse of Sukia's dark hair as she passed onto the ship.

He had turned back to the front, but he could practically feel the pigtailed girl's gaze on his back, so he turned around once again. "Do you… need something from me?"

She laughed, blushing slightly. "Uhm, no. I was just… Reminiscing. You're Kyono Yakura, right?" He nodded, wondering how it seemed everyone knew who he as, and her smile grew even brighter. "Thought so. We've dueled before, you may or may not recall. You beat me in a tournament three years ago, but you gave up the spot it qualified you for at Nationals, so I got it as the runner up. I'm just… surprised to see you here. I thought you stopped dueling?"

Giving another of his shrugs, he turned back around. "I did, but… stuff happened. Don't hold your breath, this isn't going to be my spectacular return to glory- I was never that good."

Her fist hitting him the shoulder caught him wholly by surprise, and he turned around yet again. "What the hell was that for?"

"You can't think like that! You gotta think like you're going to win no matter what!" She told him, turning away from him with a pout. "Honestly, you pessimistic types! You make me ashamed to admit I lost to you!"

"Yeah, well, don't beat yourself up. I'm a different person than I was three years ago, so don't stress about it." The line moving once again, he began to walk; this time they actually reached the entry point. Holding up his gauntleted hand, he boarded at a nod from the man in the suit, thinking that ended his conversation with the pigtailed girl.

He was wrong, to an extent. She quickly caught up with him. "Hey, a moment!"

Kyo stopped, looking over his shoulder at her as she caught up. "Yeah?"

"My name's Selia Hikoshi, and we're going to duel each other in the tournament! Oh yeah, a rematch!"

Blinking in surprise, he shrugged. "Yeah, sure, but… Why are you so passionate about it?"

Selia grinned brightly at him as she turned around, her room being in the opposite direction. "Because, I want to show you something that I think you really need to see, and the sooner you see it, the better!" With a cheerful wave over her shoulder, she was off.

Standing there, Kyo sighed heavily. "Geeze. What is with weird girls and dueling, anyway…?" He wondered aloud.

Somewhere from a little farther down the line of duelists waiting to be let on the ship, Kyo could have sworn he heard his cousin shout, 'I HEARD THAT!'

---

"I trust you find the room satisfactory, Miss Oonishi."

As soon as Sukia had entered the room she had been led to, that mocking voice once again filled her hearing. This time, however, it did not come from the television, but instead a much more normal thing; a speakerphone.

"So this is why you deigned to grant me a special room, Pegasus." She replied, removing the bag slung across her shoulders and placing it on the sofa. "So you could have an audience with me whenever you pleased."

His chuckle resounded. "So you do approve, how wonderful. Say, would you be so kind as to grant me a favor?"

Fixing a sharp glare on the source of his voice, she shook her head. "I refuse to assist you, no matter what it might be."

"What a shame… I fear it's so great a shame that some misfortune might befall this card I hold in my hands… A card with a rather flattering picture of your dear brother, Kuro."

Sukia knew instantly what that meant and gripped the back of the sofa nearest to her in her rage. "What do you want me to do?" She whispered, her voice betraying nothing.

"There is a duelist on board, one you have already had the pleasure of meeting, by the name of Kyono Yakura. I'd like you to… keep an eye out for him."

"That boy is in the same situation as I, and I do not want to do anything to him that should prevent him from finding what he seeks."

"Oh, on the contrary! What I wish for you to do will only help him, that is to say, bring him closer to his dear little sister, Reena. For you see, I want to make sure that the boy at least makes it to my castle. Not necessarily the finals, mind, but he should make it to where I am. I'd like you to assist in this manner, for no one is as good at helping while remaining invisible as you, my dear Sukia."

"Call me that in the future and I shall show you no mercy." She replied, her grip on the sofa only tightening. "But… I shall make sure the boy has the dubious 'honor' of reaching you."

"Good to hear, Miss Oonishi." The click that punctuated this sentence meant the conversation was over.

Turning around, her back to the speaker, Sukia reached in and pulled out her deck. Leafing through the cards idly, she thought to herself, 'I shall make sure he meets with you, Pegasus, but just as certainly I shall make sure that no harm falls him because of it- or his sister. I know not what games you play, but nevertheless I shall put an end to them!'

Author's Note:

Okay, yeah, don't expect updates to always be daily, but this thing is BURNING MY MIND. It practically DEMANDS to be written.

And I apologize in advance if I wind up replacing Bandit Keith with any of my characters. I don't think I need any of them to be in the official finals, but if I do it's Bandit Keith who'll be getting the boot. Still, I'm going to avoid that at all costs. While my gang will meet Yugi and co., that'll probably be later on, and the big players will be the Kaiba brothers. XD

… Actually, I think Mokuba'll show up in the next chapter. Har, I lie.


	3. A Bad Attitude

Author's Note: I fear there might be a LOT of discontinuities in this thing, due to the space of time since I last watched the first season, let alone the first episodes. Sorry!!

The crush of people in one of the ship's common-rooms did nothing for Kyo's nerves. Shouts about trading cards, old friends meeting up, discussions about strategy- it all sounded like gibberish to him. How much had the dueling world changed since he had been a part of it? Needless to say, he was feeling very much in over his head.

Suddenly, someone was next to him. "Hey! And here I though you'd be in your room the whole time!" The girl with the honey-brown braids, Selia, said cheerfully to him.

"Geeze!" Kyo jumped, startled by her sudden appearance. "Don't _do _that!"

"Do what?" She asked innocently enough, but there was a hint of evil amusement in her expression that hinted to Kyo that she knew full well what 'that' was.

Still, it was a verbal battle he didn't want to get into. "Nothing," he sighed dismissively.

A few moments passed. At first Kyo assumed that the girl would bound off if he stopped talking to her, but the fact that she remained rooted to the spot, staring directly at him, quickly did away with that assumption. He glanced sidelong at her, almost nervously.

Although the room was loud, full of the chaotic noise that accompanies competitors anxious to get to their competition, the silence between himself and the girl grew oppressive. "Um. Do you… need something from me?" He asked haltingly, looking at her as if she possessed two heads.

She reflected on this question. "Hm. Well, not really, no. I'm just trying to figure out a mystery, that's all."

"What mystery?" The question practically asked itself. As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted it; asking questions would just fuel her fire!

Just as she feared, she grinned at him. "What mystery, you ask? Well, it's a grand mystery of the dueling world, and it focuses on YOU, Mr. Yakuuraa."

"Oh, great." He mumbled to himself. Now what had he gotten into?

By some miracle or another, their increasingly awkward conversation was quickly brought to a halt as someone called out the name, 'Selia!'

She quickly turned in the direction of the call, scanned the crowd for a face she recognized, then broke into a grin. "Hey! Yumi!"

The two of them were quickly joined by a girl with impossibly long black hair, but only after she had forced her way through the crowd, swearing at anyone who didn't get out of her way immediately.

Upon reaching the two, she grinned at Selia. "Thought you'd be here. Good to know this publicity fest isn't going to be a total bore." Only then did she notice Kyo, in the middle of an attempt to get away from these girls. Again he wondered why, exactly, dueling caused insanity in females. Maybe it was the ink they used in the cards?

"Hey, what's this now? Who's the eggplant-head?" The girl, Yumi, asked with a grin at her friend.

Selia laughed. "Him? An old rival. He beat me last time; I intend to return the favor. He's got a bad attitude."

"Never would have guessed."

Glaring daggers at the two of them, Kyo snapped, "Are you two done mocking me? Yes? Good! See ya later then- oh what NOW?"

The last part was directed at yet another call, only this time it was his name. Sprinting over to him was his cousin, Toshiro not far behind.

"Is that any way to greet me after you ditch me outside the ship?" Tama asked, hands crossed over her chest crossly.

"Hey, you deserved that ditching. I dodged a bullet with that ditching!" He retorted, in no mood to deal with her fiery antics.

From behind him he heard Yumi whisper to Selia, "A lover's quarrel?"

Apparently, Tama and Toshiro heard it to, for Tama forze (due to embarrassment or anger it was impossible to tell) and Toshiro laughed. "That would be a no. These two hotheads are cousins."

Tama broke from her paralysis. "People think- people MIGHT think- Oh, God, no." She shuddered, bracing herself on Toshiro's shoulder.

"Hey! You're Toshiro Mishimiko, that famous collector of cards, right?" Selia asked, too cheerfully. It was clear she was trying to restore normalcy to the incredibly awkward conversation.

"Why, yes, I am." Toshiro replied. If he ever grew tired of being the default topic-changer in any conversation, he didn't let it show.

Kyo took this moment for his escape. "Whatever. I'm done with this." He muttered, turning and stalking off.

For once, Tama didn't shout after him. Instead, she sighed. "Again, sorry. He's… temperamental, at best. I'll be apologizing for him the entire tournament, I know it. I'm Tamao, by the way, that hothead's cousin."

"No kidding. He's got a worse attitude than me. The name's Yumi." Yumi remarked dryly.

Only Toshiro noticed the expression on Selia's face. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to the new conversation about Kyo's surliness, but instead was looking in the direction he had left in, biting her cheek as if deep in thought.

'_Odd'_, Toshiro thought to himself, filing it away in his mind as a question for another day.

---

Out on deck, Kyo felt considerably calmer. It wasn't so crowded here, and the sea air refreshed him.

'_Hehe, you're like the sea, Kyo! You're fun to be around and can be really calm, but if you get upset nothing can stand up to you!'_

He froze, eyes shut tight against the memory. A childish voice, cheerful and sweet, a little girl's voice belonging to the reason he was in this ridiculous mess. Better to not think of her, to focus on the task at hand; surviving this boat ride in close-contact with two girls bent on never giving him a moment alone.

There was no way he was making it through this tournament with his sanity in tact, that was for sure.

---

Following along like a shadow, Sukia watched the purple-haired youth with half-closed eyes. A spark was in him, a distinctive spark unique to a certain group of people. When he was in the trading room the four he had been with- the mediating collector with messy red hair called Toshiro, the sarcastic singer from England called Yumi, his fiery and intelligent cousin called Tama, and the cheerful image from his past called Selia – all shared this spark.

As did she.

Even she couldn't fathom what this spark meant, even though it had been a puzzle she had been working at for ages- since she had received a letter, with a small metal ankh enclosed (which she wore at all times), alerting her to its presence.

Perhaps Pegasus knew, and that was why he had taken such a particular interest in herself and in the youth. But if that were the case, why didn't he also take such an interest in the other four? Furthermore, were there others with this singular spark?

Whatever the answers might be, one thing was clear to her: the true intent behind the tournament was anything but what the public believed it to be.

* * *

Yumi (c) Kitteh303

Selia and Toshiro (c) DarkRegrets

Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) The guys who made it (Not me!)

Kyo, Sukia, Tama, plot, yadda yadda (c) Me


	4. Connections

Kyo was still out on the deck, gazing distantly at the sea, when Selia found him. She was out of breath, as if she had been running around trying to find him. When she saw him, she immediately rushed over to him, clearly relieved.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought they were talking about you!" She cried out to him.

Caught completely off guard by this, Kyo nearly jumped out of his skin. "I thought I told you not to do that!" He scowled. Unsurprisingly, he didn't particularly enjoy being startled repeatedly by this one girl. Trying to regain some composure, he grumbled, "And what are you babbling about, anyway? Who's talking about me?"

If his attitude offended her, she didn't let it show. She just grinned. "No one, thankfully! You haven't heard?" A glance at his completely blank face encouraged her. "I'm amazed, then. Didn't you hear splashes and shouts a little while ago?"

"Come to think of it, yeah." He replied nonchalantly. "I just assumed some idiot fell overboard."

She laughed shortly, though it was obvious she didn't find it all that funny. "Well, sort of. A duelist's cards got tossed overboard, and I guess one of his friends jumped in after them."

"Serious?" This caught Kyo by surprise. "That's pathetic. Who'd toss a guy's deck overboard?"

"Oh, no, it wasn't his entire deck." Selia replied quickly. "Just five cards. But what a set of five cards they were!"

Glancing over at her, he frowned. "You don't mean..."

It was obvious by the look in her eyes that she did.

Even as removed from the dueling world as he had made himself, Kyo hadn't been completely isolated. He had indeed heard of the stunning defeat of the prodigal duelist, Seto Kaiba, at the hands of a complete unknown wielding the legendary Exodia. That guy was on this boat, and was stupid enough to let those five out of his hands for even a second? That was interesting, surely.

"Well, that was stupid of him." Kyo rolled his eyes, voicing his thoughts.

Again he was caught by surprise as Selia punched him lightly on the arm. "What are you talking about? Who's stupid?"

"The guy with Exodia. Yugi, or something? If you have cards _that _rare, you don't let just anyone hold 'em. He should've seen it coming."

She exhaled sharply, obviously frustrated with him. "Oh, well excuse him, that he's not as cynical as you. I think it's admirable that he's willing to trust others like that."

"Sure. And look at where it got him."

"Ooh!" She growled, stamping her foot. "You've developed some attitude since we last met!"

"That was three years ago." Kyo replied, turning his gaze from her face and back to the sea. "A lot has changed."

In a few short steps she was next to him at the railing. "I can tell." She said simply. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. I mean, the way _I _remember you was so... well, nice." Laughing, she brushed one of her pigtails back over her shoulder. "You were really sweet at that tournament. Really, if we had been doing superlative, like in a pageant or something, we would've made you Mr. Congeniality or something."

Kyo snorted. "I doubt that."

She shrugged. "Okay, so maybe more like Tournament Clown or something. But the point is, everyone liked you. You were easy to talk to, and even when you were bashing someone's strategy, you did it in a, I don't know, decent way. Not rude, like you are now, at the very least."

"I liked dueling back then. I was happy to be part of that world. Now I don't, and I'm not happy to be back in it. Simple enough for you?"

"But I don't get it!" She sighed. "What could have possibly made it so you all of a sudden turned your back on dueling? Any idiot could see you loved it last I saw you."

Abruptly, Kyo turned away from her. "Yeah, I loved it." He said softly. "I loved it until it ruined my life. And that is a story I am not getting into with a _stranger_."

With that, he walked away, not looking back. He didn't need this girl, a figment from a past he was trying to forget, rubbing salt in old wounds. After all, so long as he could forget parts of the night of his last duel, he could live with himself being at this tournament, but she kept asking all the wrong questions. If she kept asking them, he'd be on a boat back home before he could even blink. Not to mention her mere presence was beginning to be a problem, because she was forcing him to relive that last duel in his mind. He might not have remembered her in line, but he did now. He remembered how she dueled, how she talked, how she had smiled when she lost with no trace of resentment in her eyes, only the happiness that a duel well done could bring.

He didn't want to remember that expression. He didn't want to love the game again, or even like it again. He just wanted to use it as a means to an end, a necessary evil.

Selia was going to make that impossible.

--

She wasn't certain how long it had been since he left when she realized she was crying. How silly was that, she laughed at herself. How silly was she, to get so bent out of shape just because some guy she remembered from a tournament turned out to be such a jerk? It felt as if a part of her childhood had been destroyed with the fact that her memory of Kyono Yakura, the grinning warrior-type duelist who had dealt her one of her first true defeats, had been shattered by reality. He wasn't that kid anymore. Something had happened, and he had changed. The kid was lost.

Wiping her eyes, she shook her head. _No_, she thought. _No, he isn't lost. He just needs someone to help him find himself again, that's all._

Selia needed to believe that kid was still somewhere inside the sad-eyed Kyo. She needed to see that kid again, just once.

"Duel him."

This time, it was Selia's turn to be startled. Looking over her shoulders, she blushed, seeing her classmate Sukia standing behind her. She quickly wiped her eyes, then smiled brightly.

"Sukia! I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"Duel him." The girl's voice was impassive, her face emotionless. "I know you plan to. And I know you must. So, duel him. We arrive tomorrow. You need to duel him first, before anyone else."

Frowning, Selia looked at the pale creature. In the moonlight her skin seemed to glow, while the rest of her was dark as shadow. She shuddered, a slight chill creeping down her spine. "I planned on it. But, Sukia, why is it so important I duel him first?"

"His mind is so battered, so hurt. His soul is almost defeated, and if his soul is defeated there will be no more hope for him."

Something in her eyes forced Selia to realize that Sukia was completely serious. "Sukia," she said quietly, "do you know him?"

She shrugged in reply. "I know him as I know you. It is hard to explain." With a nod, Sukia turned around as if to leave, but didn't move. "You were his first love, too, you know."

Her body felt as if it had froze even as her face felt as if it were on fire. "W-what do you mean?" She stammered, not believing what she had heard.

Looking over her shoulder at her, the girl smiled faintly. "The link between you and Kyono is particularly strong, that is all. As it is, you are the only one who can help him."

"You're not answering me," Selia protested.

With a faint laugh, Sukia merely walked away, blending back in with the shadows.

--

For her part, Tama's feelings of success had practically evaporated. What was the point in convincing her brother to come if he was just going to be an insufferable mess for the entire thing? She had felt terrible when Selia came back into the common room, trying to act as if she hadn't just had a shouting match with the surly duelist.

But they all knew, even Toshiro, who could barely read girls as it was.

"Forget him, Selia. He's not worth it." Yumi offered, coming over to her friend and draping an arm around her comfortingly. "I mean, if he's willing to make a girl cry, he really can't be worth anything more than trash."

While her cheeks flared at this insult to her family, Tama kept her composure. She even reluctantly had to mentally agree with the singer, for right now, her cousin really was being worthless. Besides, she knew if she said something, then she'd get into an argument, too. She had just met Selia, but Tama could tell that they could get to be friends- if Tama didn't lose her cool against her.

Stepping in, Toshiro said calmly, "Well, you can't truly say that, considering you don't know what drives him, but it is true that his actions aren't all that commendable right now."

"Is that some pathetic attempt at excusing a fellow male for inherent stupidity?" Yumi asked dryly.

With a shrug and a grin, Toshiro replied, "Maybe. Or maybe I'm trying to tell you you're harping on an emotionally scarred youth. Who can say?"

Selia's eyes snapped up to Toshiro. "What do you mean?"

"It isn't my place to say." He replied diplomatically.

Her gaze turned to Tama, and Tama frowned. "If he wouldn't tell you, I shouldn't either." But there was some desperation in her eyes that made Tama want to say more. "All I'll say," she amended, "is that he lost at least three people close to him due to dueling- or, at least that's how he sees it. If you want the full story, you'll have to get it out of him."

"Psht. How is she going to do that?" Yumi drawled. "Personally, I'm still for the forget about him plan."

"I know how." Selia stated quietly. "I just have to duel him."

--

"So, you've seen them all now, have you?" There was that deplorable voice again, refined and haughty and despicable. "What a lot they are, with you the queen of them all."

"I do not know what you are talking about." Sukia said into the emptiness of her room, looking at the wall.

"Oh, don't play coy, Miss Oonishi. You know what I am talking about. You don't need what I have to see it." His voice took on an almost reverent tone as he described that curious spark she herself had observed earlier. "That gift. It's brightest in you, of course, but it's there in the rest of them. The pretty little brunette duelist, the collector, the pop star and, of course, our Kyo-boy and his cousin. And to think, those are only some! True, for the moment I'm more interesting in someone else with that spark, because he also has a toy for me, but don't you fret. I won't forget about you and yours." He sighed, as if thinking of his heart's dearest wish. "That beautiful little spark. It means something, and I think I will find it most useful."

"I have no intention of helping you exploit anyone."

If there was anything more deplorable that his voice, it was his laugh. "Oh, what makes you think you've a choice? I have the upper hand in this little duel of wills, Miss Oonishi. We both know whatever I wish, you will do. But, don't you fret- the boy will soon be in the same fix as you. At least then you'll have a friend to commiserate with."

She hated herself for it, but her eyes snapped to the speaker from which the voice issued from. "You have something of his. Something precious."

"Oh, perhaps I do."

"Is she in your hand as well?"

"I haven't had to resort to that just yet, but in the end she will be, I am ever so certain." There was that chuckle again. "She'll make an adorable little card."

"You are disgusting."

"I'm touched, Miss Oonishi, but tragically our lovely chat must end. You should get some rest for tomorrow, you know. I've such plans in store for my favorite little toy- you're going to do me such a wonderful service!"

The speaker clicked. The conversation was done with.

Grabbing whatever was closest- a pillow from an absurdly ornate armchair –she flung it at the speaker. Sukia Oonishi was no plaything. If Pegasus thought she was, he would be in for a rude awakening, and she would be only too glad to deal it to him.

* * *

Author's Comments- If anyone was wondering: YES, I am having far too much fun with Sukia and Pegasus' little squabbles. This was sort of an emotional backdrop for the upcoming chapter (as well as a little nod to the actual canon verse- 'some kid with Exodia', perhaps? XD). Yes, there's actually going to be ACTION next time! The epic battle between the forces of optimism against the legion of negativity!

Also known as a Selia vs. Kyo duel royale.

Dunno when that will be up, but look forward to it! (And apologies: I've a cold, so I'm on cold medicine, which makes me PARTICULARLY loopy.)


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